Wire-stretcher.



J H. RAGER. WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1910.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Z 8HBETSSHEET 1.

J. H. RAGER.

WIRE STRETGHEB.

Lrrmonzon IILBD rm. 11, mo.

9 55 Patented July 19, 1910.

2 SHEETS- ERRET 2.

lilllumm de K {a JAMES H. BAGER, OF VINTONDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. RAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vintondale, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire- Stretchers of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to wire stretchers and more particularly to a stretcher for trolley wires which may be quickly arranged thereon and is adapted to take up the slack in the wire.

A further object resides in the provision of a very simply constructed device of the above character which will securely grip the wire and serve as an electrical conductor, the trolley wheel having engagement with the body of the device to receive the current therefrom.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wire tightener or slack take-up arranged upon a trolley wire; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line a 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. is a section taken 011 the line 55 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the central wire supporting block.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 designates the body of my improved trolley wire stretcher which as shown in the drawings is in the form of an elongated bar slightly tapering at its extremities and formed at its ends and on its upper edge with the longitudinally extending grooves 6. This body portion has integrally formed therewith the vertical standards 7 disposed adjacent to the ends thereof. These stand ards are in the form of spaced parallel arms or plates 8 which have their inner faces merged into the walls of the groove 6. A standard 9 is centrally formed on the body 5 and is of considerably greater length than the end standards 7. This central standard 9 is slotted as shown at 10 from its upper Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 11, 1910.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Serial No. 543,344.

end to the top of the body member 5. The body 5 and the standards 7 and 10 would preferably be cast integrally, but it will be obvious that if desired they may comprise separate elements, the standards being secured to the elongated body in any usual or well-known manner.

A holding member 11 is positioned between the spaced arms or plates of the end standards 7 and is in the form of a metal blockhaving lateral extensions formed on one end to provide an enlarged head 11, said head being formed with a longitudinal groove 12 in which the trolley wire is adapted to be disposed in the operation of the device as Will more fully hereinafter appear. These holding or gripping members are retained between the arms of the standards by means of the nuts 13, said standards being provided with threads to receive the nuts. As these nuts are threaded downwardly upon the plates 8 of the standards, they engage with the enlarged heads 11 of the members 11 and force the same downwardly upon the trolley wire to bind the same in the grooves 6 in the ends of the bar 5, the nut preventing any longitudinal or sidewise movement of the members 11 in the standards, and the engagement of the nuts 13 upon the heads 11 of the members 11 preventing their vertical movement. A wire supporting block l-it is also disposed in the slot 10 of the central standard 9 and is of similar formation to the members 11, said block having a shank portion of approximately the same width as the diameter of said standards and an enlarged head 14; having an upper convex edge provided with a longitudinal groove 15 to receive the trolley wire. A nut 16 also has threaded engagement on the standard 9 and is disposed below the head 14 of the supporting block and the upper edge of the body bar 5. This nut serves the same purpose as the nuts 13 and prevents lateral movement of the supporting member in the slot 10.

A bearing member 17 formed of heavy spring metal is bent adjacent to its center to provide the inclined arms 18. The extremities of these arms are notched or recessed as shown at 18 and are adapted to receive the trolley wire and to have close engagement thereon to secure the same in the groove in the ends of the bar 5. The intermediate portion of the member 17 is disposed in parallel relation to the body bar 5 and is provided with an aperture 19 therethrough to receive the upper end of the central standard 9. A plug 9 is disposed in the upper open end of the slot 10 in the standard 9 and holds the arms in their proper relative positions, thereby preventing their collapse. This end of the standard is provided with screw threads to receive a nut 20 whichois adapted to be adjusted downwardly upon the standard and to force the bar member 17 downwardly to adjust the tension of the inclined arms 18 upon the trolley wire whereby the same may be rigidly held in the end grooves 6 of the bar 5. This nut also binds the spaced arms of the standard upon the plug 9 to retain the same in the slot 10.

In the operation of the device, the bearing member 17 is removed from the central standard 9, and the blocks 11, and nuts 13 removed from the end standards 7. The trolley Wire is positioned through the slot 10 in the central standard 9 and disposed in the convex groove of the supporting block 14. One of the bearing blocks 11 is engaged with the trolley wire and secured by means of the nut 13. The wire is then stretched and positioned in the groove in the opposite end of the body bar 5 and the other bearing block secured thereon. The member 17 is now engaged upon the upper end of the standard 9 and the adjusting nut 20 threaded downwardly thereon to force the eX- tremities of the inclined arms 18 into engagement upon the trolley wire, said arms assisting the blocks 11 in retaining the wire in the groove of the bar 5 to prevent its release. As the trolley wire slackens, it is taken up by loosening the securing nuts 13 and 20 and adjusting the nut 16 to force the member 14 upwardly in the slot 10 of the central standard 9. The members 11 are then secured upon the trolley wire as above described. In this manner the wire is always kept taut, and as will be seen from Fig. 3 as the lower edge of the bar 5 is rounded, it provides a good contact for the trolley wheel, the current passing through the bar 5 and the trolley pole. Thus the current remains unbroken, and the constant displacement of the trolley wire from the wheel owing to the slack in the wire is overcome.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of my improved wire stretcher will be readily understood. The device is adapted for other uses than that above set forth and while I have particularly shown and described the preferred form of my invention, it will be obvious that the same is susceptible of many minor modifications without departing from the essential features or sacrificing any of the advan tages to be obtained thereby. The device is also comparatively simple in construction, economical to manufacture and highly efficient and durable in use.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a body bar having longitudinal grooves in its ends, means for securing a trolley wire in said grooves, a central standard carried by the bar, and means arranged on said standard having yielding engagement with the trolley wire substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device of the character described comprising a body bar, a standard formed on each end of said bar, said standards comprising parallel arms adapted to receive the trolley wire between them, bearing blocks arranged between said arms for engagement with the wire, means for securing said blocks against vertical or longitudinal movement, a central standard carried by the bar, and means adjustably arranged upon said standard having yielding engagement upon the trolley wire substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A device of the character described comprising a body bar having a longitudinal groove in each end thereof, a standard formed upon each end of said bar comprising spaced parallel arms, the inner faces of said arms merging into the walls of the groove, means for securing a trolley wire in said grooves, and means having yielding bearing engagement upon the wire to retain the same in said grooves substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. A device of the character described comprising a longitudinal body bar having a groove in each end thereof, a standard formed at each end of the bar, means removably carried by said standards having bearing engagement with the trolley wire to secure the same in said grooves, nuts threaded upon said standard to retain the bearing blocks in position, a central standard carried by the bar, a supporting block for said wire carried by the standard, and means adjustably arranged upon said standard having yielding engagement upon the trolley wire to retain the same in said grooves substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A device of the character described comprising a longitudinal body bar, means arranged upon each end of said bar for securing a trolley wire thereto, a central standard carried by the bar having a longitudinal slot therein, a supporting member arranged in said slot to support the wire, means on the standard to hold the supporting member against movement, and means vertically adjustable upon the standard having yielding bearing engagement with said wire upon each side thereof substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A device of the character described comprising a longitudinal body bar, means arranged upon each end of said bar, adapted to receive a trolley wire and rigidly secure the same thereto, a central standard formed on said body bar having a vertical slot therein open at its upper end, a plug closing the open end of said slot, a supporting block having a laterally extended upper end to provide a wire receiving head, a nut threaded upon the lower end of said standard to hold said block against lateral movement, and a bearing member adjustably arranged upon said standard having laterally extended downwardly inclined arms adapted for yielding engagement upon the trolley Wire substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A device of the character described comprising a longitudinal body bar, means carried by said bar for rigidly securing a trolley wire to each end thereof, a vertical standard to support the trolley wire between the ends of the bar, a bearing member loosely arranged upon said standard at its upper end having oppositely disposed downwardly inclined resilient arms provided with recesses in their extremities to receive the trolley wire, and an adjusting nut threaded upon the upper end of the standard for engagement with the bearing member to regulate the tension of said arms upon the trolley wire substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A device of the character described comprising a body bar, means arranged on each end of said bar for securing a wire thereto, and means centrally arranged on the bar for taking up the slack in the wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A device of the character described comprising a body bar, means arranged on a each end of the bar for securing a trolley wire thereto, a vertically movable bearing member centrally disposed between the ends of the bar to support said wire, and means for adjusting said member, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. A device of the character described comprising a body'bar, securing members arranged on the ends of the bar to secure a trolley wire thereto, a slotted standard centrally arranged on said bar, a bearing member vertically movable in the slot of said standard and adapted to support the wire, and means for adjusting said member to take up the slack in the wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. A device of the character described comprising a body bar, means for securing a trolley wire to each end of said bar, a standard centrally arranged on the bar, a bearing member adjustable upon the upper end of said standard and yieldingly engaged with said trolley wire, and means independently adjustable of said bearing member to support said wire to take up the slack therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. RAGER.

Witnesses:

HARRY HAMrsoN, DAVID SHILLING. 

